Apparatus and method for processing additional information in television

Abstract

An additional information processing apparatus and method selectively processes and stores additional information contained in a TV broadcast signal according to specifications set by a user, subdivides information of the type of additional information received in real time, and displays the information on a screen. Additional information contained in a broadcast signal is classified by type before transmission. Only additional information of the type(s) desired by a user is selected and acquired from the received additional information. The type(s) of additional information acquired is (are) displayed on a screen in real time. Accordingly, only the additional information needed by the user is selectively stored in memory and memory can be efficiently used. Since the type(s) of additional information received is (are) displayed on the screen in detail, the user can easily understand the type(s) of additional information being received currently so that the additional information can be effectively used. In addition, subdivided additional information suitable for the various classes of TV viewers can be developed so that additional information contents can be efficiently developed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for processing additional information embedded in a television (TV) broadcast signal, said apparatus comprising:
 a demultiplexer for separating video data, audio data and the additional information from a channel decoded broadcast signal;   a controller for receiving the additional information separated by the demultiplexer, for extracting an additional information class code from the additional information, and for generating an additional information storage control signal and an additional information display control signal when the extracted additional information class code is included in additional information class codes selected by a user;   a memory responsive to the additional information storage control signal from said controller for storing the additional information in an area assigned to a type of the additional information;   an additional information class display signal generator responsive to the additional information display control signal from said controller for generating image data for displaying on a screen type information corresponding to the extracted additional information class code; and   a video signal processor for decoding the video data separated by the demultiplexer, for mixing the decoded video data and the image data generated by the additional information class display signal generator to obtain a mixed result, and for performing signal processing on the mixed result for display on a screen.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a tuner for receiving and tuning the TV broadcast signal to produce a tuner output, and a channel decoder for channel decoding the tuner output to produce the channel- decoded broadcast signal. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a key input unit connected to an input of said controller and operable by the user for selecting the additional information class codes. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said video signal processor comprises:
 a video decoder for receiving and decoding the video data separated by said demultiplexer to produce the decoded video data;   a mixer connected to said video decoder and to said additional information class display signal generator for mixing the decoded video data and the image data generated by said additional information class display signal generator; and   a digital-to-analog converter connected to said mixer for converting the mixer output to an analog signal for driving a display unit to obtain the display on the screen.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising an additional information processor connected to an output of said controller and to an input of said mixer for generating additional information image data and for providing the additional information image data to said mixer, said mixer mixing the additional information image data with the decoded video data and the image data generated by said additional information class display signal generator. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an audio signal processor connected to said demultiplexer for receiving and processing the audio data separated from the channel decoded broadcast signal by said demultiplexer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said audio signal processor comprises:
 an audio decoder for decoding the audio data separated from the channel decoded broadcast signal by said demultiplexer to obtain an audio decoder output; and   a digital-to-analog converter for converting the audio decoder output to an analog output for driving a speaker.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the additional information is displayed through a light emitting device in the form of icon images specified for each type of additional information. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the video signal processor outputs to a display unit in real time the icon image data corresponding to additional information that is being received by the apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the type information identifies the type of the additional information. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the type of the additional information indicated by the type information includes general program information, education information, game information, and on-line commerce information. 
     
     
         12 . A method of processing additional information embedded in a television broadcast signal, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) extracting an additional information class code from the embedded additional information;   (b) determining whether the extracted additional information class code conforms to a condition of acquisition of the additional information;   (c) generating an additional information display control signal when the extracted additional information class code conforms to the condition of acquisition of the additional information; and   (d) displaying the type of the additional information on a screen in response to the additional information display control signal when it is determined that the extracted additional information class code conforms to the condition of the acquisition of the additional information set by the user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the type of the additional information is displayed through a light emitting device in the form of icon images specified for each type of additional information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the condition of acquisition of the additional information is set by a default mode in which all types of received additional information are stored separately by type, and additional information currently being received is displayed regardless of type. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the condition of acquisition of the additional information is set by a user mode in which only additional information of a type selected by the user is stored and is displayed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein step (c) further comprises generating an additional information storage control signal when the extracted additional information class code conforms to the condition of acquisition of the additional information; and
 wherein step (d) comprises separately storing the additional memory in a memory in response to the additional information storage control signal.   
     
     
         17 . A method of processing additional information embedded in a television broadcast signal, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving the television broadcast signal;   extracting the additional information from the received television broadcast signal;   generating an display image corresponding to the extracted additional information; and   displaying the generated display image on the screen;   wherein the generated display image is an icon image representing the extracted additional information and having type information indicating a type of the additional information.